Vintage 2025

Moscato Giallo has a history stretching back centuries in South Tyrol. Almost always sweet, often served with dessert: that is its tradition, and it is a fine one. The Bozen Winery is taking a different approach. The same grape variety, the same aromatic intensity, but vinified as a dry wine. What remains is the essence of Muscat without the sugar coating. The grapes come from warm, sun-drenched vineyards around Bolzano at altitudes of between 300 and 550 metres. Gentle pressing, controlled fermentation in stainless steel. The result is a white wine that openly displays its aromas without losing its freshness.

This seductive Goldmuskateller is produced from carefully selected, sun-exposed hillside vineyards around Bolzano at an altitude of 300-550 metres, continuing the centuries-old tradition of this aromatic grape variety in South Tyrol. In the warm, well-ventilated sites, the Moscato Giallo grapes thrive under ideal conditions until the end of September and develop the intense muscat flavour that makes this variety so unmistakable.

No winery has characterised Lugana like Zenato. When Sergio Zenato started out in San Benedetto di Lugana in 1960, the appellation was a sleepy corner on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Today, the family winery owns 70 hectares of the best vineyards – a tenth of the entire DOC. The Trebbiano di Lugana grape variety, also known as Turbiana, is rooted here on clayey moraine soils between Peschiera and Desenzano. DNA analyses suggest a relationship with Verdicchio – a debate that is causing a stir among ampelographers. One thing is certain: The 30-year-old vines produce grapes of remarkable complexity. Hand-picked at the end of September, gently pressed, fermented at 16–18°C in stainless steel.

Pinot Grigio has an image problem. Somewhere between mass production in Veneto and its reputation as a run-of-the-mill international wine, the impression has taken hold that it is a wine without ambition. Anyone wishing to correct this impression should look to South Tyrol. In Alto Adige, the variety – originally from Burgundy – has found a terroir that gives it what it cannot get elsewhere: cool nights, altitudes between 300 and 500 metres, calcareous soils, and alpine precision. Cellar master Hans Terzer, one of the leading figures in South Tyrolean white wine for decades, has clearly defined the style: clean, single-varietal, and distinct in character. The St. Michael-Eppan Winery, founded in 1907 and supported by 340 member families, has turned this into one of its best-selling wines – and rightly so. 100% Pinot Grigio, fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel.

In 1900, Cleto Chiarli travelled to Paris. In his luggage: bottles of his Lambrusco, fermented using the traditional method – fermentation in the bottle, no intervention, no dosage. The jury at the World Exhibition awarded him the "Mention Honorable". A century later, *Wine Spectator* selected the Fondatore for its Top 100 Wines of the World. The secret lies in the method. Whilst the market favours the Charmat method, Chiarli 1860 continues to use the *Metodo Ancestrale* for the Fondatore, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. This is followed by six months' ageing on the lees. No dosage. The result is a Lambrusco whose vintages can be traced back – and which reveals what this wine tasted like long before anyone had the idea of making it sweet.

Fallwind wines are ambassadors for their terroir and uniquely reflect the strengths of the growing region. They are mostly produced from selected vineyards where wine has been grown for centuries. Strict quality guidelines, low yields, intensive manual labour in the vineyard, and gentle, bespoke vinification in the cellar make them what they are: wines full of character, precise and unique, which win over every connoisseur with their varietal characteristics.

Full-bodied yet refreshing – this is how Peter Zemmers’ Chardonnay from the finest vineyards around Kurtinig in South Tyrol’s Unterland region presents itself. The vines, grafted onto low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, benefit from their favourable location in the valley floor, ideal sunlight and good air circulation around the grapes. The hand-picked grapes are left to macerate on their skins for a few hours in a cool place before pressing – a step that transfers the fruity aromas from the skins into the must and intensifies the bouquet. Following gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel tanks.

South Tyrol's soul in a glass. The Vernatsch – italian Schiava – is the most widely cultivated red wine variety in the region and is currently experiencing a renaissance in quality. Peter Zemmer grows this autochthonous grape variety on the calcareous clay and gravel soils of the sun-drenched slopes around Kurtatsch, traditionally cultivated on the pergola – the typical pergola shape that has characterised the South Tyrolean landscape for centuries.

Founded in 1889 by Pastor Christian Schrott, the Tramin Winery is today one of the most renowned co-operative wineries in Italy – supported by around 270 winegrowing families who cultivate their vineyards around Termeno, Neumarkt, Montan and Auer. Oenologist Willi Stürz, who has been at work since the 1990s, has turned this collective strength into a portfolio that has won many international awards. His credo: purity and terroir character – not a word too much in the cellar. The Pinot Bianco grows on chalky and clayey soils with gravel and crushed stone, between 250 and 500 metres above sea level.

Pinot Bianco is the most cultivated white wine variety at the St. Michael-Eppan winery – and there is a reason for this. At altitudes of 480 to 650 metres in the municipality of Appiano, the grape variety finds exactly what it needs: calcareous gravel soils with a light clay content, south-east exposure and the cool night winds that blow down from the Mendel Mountains. These winds are the invisible tool of the terroir – they slow down the ripening process and maintain the freshness that distinguishes Pinot Bianco at this altitude from all others. Hand-picked, vinification in steel. Typical of the variety, clean, easy to drink.

Appiano is the largest wine-growing community in South Tyrol – and the St. Michael-Eppan winery is its centrepiece. Together, 330 member companies cultivate 385 hectares on sunny slopes between 250 and 900 metres above sea level. What unites them is not just the geography, but the conviction that quality is created in the vineyard – and that Eppan offers the right conditions for this. The Chardonnay grows at around 400 metres above sea level along the famous South Tyrolean Wine Route, on moraine soils from the Ice Age – calcareous, well-aerated, with a natural ability to ripen slowly. Hand-picked, processed in stainless steel: fresh and typical of the variety.

Pinot Grigio is the most widely grown white grape variety in South Tyrol – and, at the same time, the most frequently misunderstood. Anyone who thinks it has only one character has not yet tasted one from the vineyards around Termeno. The Tramin Winery draws out everything this grape variety has to offer from the soil: calcareous clay and gravel soils, altitudes between 200 and 400 metres, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night that are typical of the valley. This is what gives the Pinot Grigio here its complexity. Vinified in stainless-steel tanks with careful temperature control – no wood, no distractions. What ends up in the glass is the vineyard itself.

A white wine with a rich history and a mineral character. Lacryma Christi Bianco comes from old vines growing on the fertile ash soils around Mount Vesuvius. In the glass, it is a pale straw yellow with greenish highlights. The nose reveals white flowers, yellow apple, a hint of lemon and delicate herbal notes. On the palate, it is fresh, crisp and delicately salty, with lively acidity and a subtly tart, cool, mineral finish. This single-varietal Coda di Volpe was aged in stainless-steel tanks to preserve its freshness and varietal character. A true southern Italian wine with a cool, composed character and volcanic flair – ideal with seafood, pasta alle vongole or fried antipasti. SUPERIORE.DE

After a break of thirty years, Federico Carletti has ventured a renaissance in recent years: Ambrae marks Poliziano's return to white grape varieties. This elegant cuvée made from ninety per cent Chardonnay and ten per cent Roussanne thrives on the clay-rich slopes around Montepulciano – a name that, like the winery itself, pays homage to the great Renaissance humanist Angelo Ambrogini. This composition matures exclusively in stainless steel without the influence of wood, allowing the mineral depth of the Pliocene soils to express itself unfiltered.

Guardia Sanframondi, Benevento. Clay-limestone hills at the foot of the Matese mountains, 350 to 450 metres above sea level, organic. Greco grows here – one of the oldest grape varieties in southern Italy, rooted in this region for centuries. Carlo and Filomena Iacobucci vinify it as it should be: in steel, fresh, without detours. Straw yellow in colour with green reflections. Intense floral notes, citrus peel, pear, white peach, a light hint of wild herbs. Refreshing on the palate, with lively acidity and a mineral finish that reveals its origin. Uncomplicated, precise, honest. SUPERIORE.DE

Falanghina is one of the great white wine classics of southern Italy – and Feudi di San Gregorio interprets it in its purest form. The grapes come from the gentle hills of the Sannio, a high altitude area with calcareous soils and striking day-night differences. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. Aromas of white peach, apple blossom, lime and a hint of broom. Fresh, fruity and delicately flavoured on the palate, the minerality remains subtly in the background. A confident, clear white wine from a traditional grape variety that does not want to be fashionable, but speaks its origins. Ideal with seafood, pasta with vegetables or simply as an aperitif on a warm evening. SUPERIORE.DE

A Vermentino with a name that evokes the sea – and that is precisely what it promises: Cala Silente comes from selected vineyards swept by the Mistral near the south-west coast of Sardinia. The grapes are harvested early in the morning and vinified in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks to preserve freshness and aromatic clarity. Pale straw yellow. The nose is distinctive yet delicate: white peach, lime and salty minerality, complemented by a hint of Mediterranean herbs and wet stone. Lively and taut on the palate, with fresh acidity, a delicate creaminess and a long, cool finish – coastal and full of character. Cala Silente is an authentic example of Sardinian white wine-making: unpretentious, aromatically precise and with a salty undertone that inevitably evokes the sea. If the glass sounds like a fresh breeze sweeping across the macchia, then it must be Cala Silente ... SUPERIORE.DE

Morisfarms is located seven kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. And you can taste it. The Vermentino from the Poggetti estate carries the coast in the glass: salty, mineral, fresh, with that characteristic crispness that distinguishes Vermentino from the Tuscan coast from its more opulent relatives from Sardinia or Piedmont. The wine is not a pure Vermentino, but a harmonious blend: 90 per cent Vermentino, 10 per cent Viognier – the indigenous coastal variety and an aromatic northern player. The Viognier is harvested at the end of August, the Vermentino in mid-September. Both are cold clarified separately and fermented together in steel at 18 degrees. Matured lean, short fine lees, fresh in the bottle.

Poggio al Lupo presents the trendy white variety Vermentino in its sunny, Mediterranean form with a distinct elegance. In the glass, it is a pale, slightly golden straw yellow. The aroma is reminiscent of green mandarin, lemon zest, white peach and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it is fresh, with lively acidity, a delicate salty minerality, ripe fruit and a crisp, easy-drinking character. Fruity sweetness and freshness are perfectly balanced. An uncomplicated, reliable Tuscan wine from the west coast – sleek, typical of the region and ideal with seafood, grilled vegetables or light fish dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

This is the sunny elegance of Sicily at its best: Terebinto is a single-varietal Grillo from the sustainably farmed Monte Cirami and Gurra vineyards near Menfi. The colour in the glass is a brilliant canary yellow, clear, lively and inviting. The aroma is typical, but loaded with precision and freshness: Pineapple, white melon rind, Granny Smith apple, chunky rice grains and prickly pear. Fresh, energetic and finely structured on the palate – vibrant acidity meets lush but clear fruit. The minerality remains present, balanced and deep, especially due to the altitude and the cool influence of the nearby sea. Ideal with fine seafood dishes, green antipasti or simply on its own, Terebinto is a modern classic from Menfi. SUPERIORE.DE

The Tramin winery, founded in 1898 and today one of the most renowned cooperatives in South Tyrol with over 300 members, vinifies this Chardonnay from vineyards between 240 and 500 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Ora, Tramin and Egna. The calcareous, loamy, gravelly soils and the marked day-night temperature fluctuations of the Alpine region give the grapes their characteristic intensity of flavour.

The vines for this fresh Müller-Thurgau are trained using the Guyot method on south/south-west-facing hillsides at an altitude of 500 to 800 metres above sea level, on soils consisting of loam and weathered porphyry. A rich yellow-green colour, with intense aromas of fruit, flowers and a subtle nutty note. On the palate, the depth of fruit, delicate mineral and salty notes, and well-integrated acidity lend the wine powerful elegance and character. SUPERIORE.DE